The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children
in partnership with Dublin West
Education Centre presents
world of sound and story: music and drama at the ark
Course presenters Ailbhe Kenny and Joanna Parkes will lead this 5 day course
for a maximum of 25 participants.
Our aim is to demonstrate how music and drama can be used to create rich, imaginative
learning experiences in the classroom to enhance pupil’s commitment and
engagement with learning.
The course will endorse the aims of the arts curriculum to ensure that the participants:
Enjoy,
understand and appreciate music and drama in a critical manner.
- Develop an openness to, awareness of and explore a variety of responses to music and drama.
- Explore creative approaches to music and drama in the classroom.
Discuss the appropriateness and effectiveness of all activities to the
classroom.
Participants will gain hands-on experience of being involved in drama and
music processes based on known and created stories. Through the active
and practical workshops they will experience a wide range of teaching techniques.
In particular, the music sessions will consider all of the musical elements
outlined in the music curriculum. These are: pulse, duration, tempo, pitch, dynamics, structure,
timbre, texture and style. Similarly the drama sessions will involve
whole group role play, small group role play, frozen pictures and image
work, thought-tracking and hot seating, teacher in role, pair work and
improvisation and split brief scenes.
Strands from the music curriculum will include:
- Listening and responding with an emphasis on the use of a wide range of diverse listening activities from a variety of musical genres and cultures.
- Performing with a focus on songs of different cultures, styles and traditions. In addition the group will also perform their own compositions during the course.
- Composing with an emphasis on hands-on experiences with musical instruments and group work. The course will also involve a drum circle session with a professional musician.
Strands from the drama curriculum will include:
- Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding by exploring and making drama, co-operation and communication in making drama reflection on drama, and the prerequisites for making drama: Safety, content and a fictional lens
The course will explore the assessment criteria in line with the arts curriculum
objectives and strand units and the intangible results of engagement in an
arts experience in terms of social, personal and creative development. The
need to show special sensitivity when the creative work of the children is
discussed openly will also be explored on the course.
The multicultural exploratory elements of this week are particularly timely
given that 2008 is the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.
